Morocco, the host nation of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), aims to win its first title in the tournament since 1976 as the team gears up for the crucial semi-final clash against Nigeria, who are seeking for their fourth continental title.
The Atlas Lions takes on the Super Eagles of Nigeria at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdallah in a fierce encounter on Wednesday, with victory crucial to securing qualification to the finals of the tournament.
While Nigeria remain the only team to have secured victories in all five games at the tournament, the Atlas Lions has four wins and a draw.
The upcoming encounter marks the sixth encounter between Nigeria and Morocco in the knockout stages of the Africa Cup of Nations. All five previous meetings between the two sides in the competition ended in a victory for one of them.
This match also represents the first meeting between the two teams in the AFCON finals in 22 years, and only the second time they have faced each other at this stage of the competition.
Four of the five previous encounters between the two teams in the Africa Cup of Nations took place during the group stage, two of them in the 1976 edition, and then in the 2000 and 2004 editions. Their first meeting dates back to the 1976 AFCON, where Morocco emerged victorious on two occasions. (3-1 and 2-1), on their way to winning their first and only continental title.
The only other semi-final meeting between the two teams was in the 1980 edition, when Nigeria won 1-0, with Felix Olabe scoring in the ninth minute, before going on to win their first continental title.
In the 2000 edition, the Super Eagles reaffirmed their dominance by eliminating Morocco in the final match of Group D, after a 2-0 victory, with goals from Finidi George and Julius Aghahowa.
The last encounter between the two teams in the Africa Cup of Nations finals dates back to the 2004 edition, when Morocco won 1-0 in the group stage, with Youssef Hadji scoring in the 77th minute.
The 2025 semi-final will be Nigeria’s third knockout match against the host nation, following defeats to Tunisia in 2004 and Ghana in 2008.
In this context, a noteworthy statistical statistic emerges: Seven of the eleven goals scored in the five previous encounters between the two teams in the Africa Cup of Nations finals came in the second half, reinforcing the likelihood of a fiery clash.
